I remember the old forum and the big discussions about Rachael and that blonde whoever. Well, I can catch up with RR who will be on at 4 in the afternoon, on a local crappy TV station
Anyone visited the forum RR s---s!!

I'm sorry, but the Martha Stewart of Foodnetwork is the incrediably plastic Sandra Lee with her "Semi-Home Made". Rachel Ray may be extremely annoying (especially to true foodies), but at least her recipes can be described as from scratch since she doesn't base them off such tricks as adding food coloring to canned frosting and then using it on a store bought cake or using the filling from a store bought pie and canned cookie dough to make indivual tarts for a fancy dinner party! Not only has Sandra Lee pulled both tricks on her show, but she acts as if you should grovel at her feet for the priviledge of her telling you about them.

Oh boy, here we go again! Have any of you tried her recipes? I made two last week.....excellent! I find her recipes to be easy, fast and with healthy ingredients. There is a certain population that she appeals to. I appreciate her talents, and yes, I do find her annoying at times, but so what? Turn her off! She is a hard working gal, living the American dream. She is a hard worker, loves her family, husband, and best of all, she is an animal lover. What's not to like?

Carl K wrote:I'm sorry, but the Martha Stewart of Foodnetwork is the incrediably plastic Sandra Lee with her "Semi-Home Made". Rachel Ray may be extremely annoying (especially to true foodies), but at least her recipes can be described as from scratch since she doesn't base them off such tricks as adding food coloring to canned frosting and then using it on a store bought cake or using the filling from a store bought pie and canned cookie dough to make indivual tarts for a fancy dinner party! Not only has Sandra Lee pulled both tricks on her show, but she acts as if you should grovel at her feet for the priviledge of her telling you about them.

OK....Hellouise, then.

My problem with RR is her insatiable need to put the "big wow" on mudane food stuffs and overly simple recipes any one of us could have thought out on our own....in the sixth grade and comatose.

"You take some bread, a jar of peanut butter and voila! A peanut butter sandwich! Isn't that just so special?!?"

Thank you Karen. I'm tired of the Rachael bashing that goes on here. I, too, have made some of her recipes and enjoyed them very much. Especially the carbonara that her husband liked so much. I've also made her shrimp burgers, soffrito rice and chili sweet potato hash with fried eggs (I leave off the salsa). I have several more I'm planning to try.

Not everyone is a gourmet or even a gourmet wannabe. I make good everyday food that pleases both me and my husband, and anyone else I happen to cook for.

For example, tonight we had grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce, baked potatoes and Caesar salad (bagged), served with a 2004 Colonia Las Liebres, a Bonarda from Argentina. It was all "delish"!

To microwave squash, cut in half and seed. Place 1/4-inch water in a microwave safe dish. Place squash in dish, cut sides down -- sides will overlap. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high power 13 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup liquid in a bowl. Shred squash and add the "spaghetti" to bowl with liquid. To boil squash: cut in half and scrape out seeds. Boil squash until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Place 1/2 cup cooking water into a bowl, then drain and shred the squash. Transfer to a bowl with reserved liquid.

Toss squash with reserved liquid and dress with extra-virgin olive oil, lots of cheese, salt to taste, and lots of black pepper. Serve.

Thanks for the post, Linda. I confess I like Rachael Ray very much. She's so positive and excited about food -- irritating at times -- but when I find myself baffled and confused about what to do next, I think of her bubbling enthusiasm and it always rubs off.

1. Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals is a complete lie. There is NO WAY it should be titled that...however I can see where the marketing for:

"Thirty Minute Meals: If you run around like a mad woman, don't do a bit of cleaning and happen to have your recipes memorized"

was a bit difficult.

2. Some of the recipes are very good....*but* they rarely inspire me the way some of the other shows do.

3. Giada is WAY hotter.

Scott

P.S. When she came to Austin she dined at Santa Rita Mexican Cantina, which is about a mile and a half from our house. We eat there often, and the waitress told us she only tipped about 10%. Take the story for what it's worth...could be untrue.

P.P.S. When Alton Brown came to Austin for a book signing he was asked if he and Rachael Ray would ever compete on Iron Chef. His response:

"Iron Chef takes a skill with creating new/modified recipes on the fly I don't really have. That said...I would pick my teeth with her bones."

I don't either, Bob. Thanks in part to the Food Network. I also read cooking magazines, study my cookbooks, use the internet for research and recipes, and keep adding to my collection of "tried and true" recipes (including those I create myself).

Personally, I find Rachael's shows to be pretty annoying and the thought of her having a talk show makes me cringe. But that's a reflection of her style rather than her recipes. I see her as valuable in the sense that her enthusiasm and lack of pretense will draw some people into cooking who otherwise might stay away from it. Some of those will graduate on to more complicated stuff, and a few of those will end up with a very rewarding lifelong hobby that will enhance their lives and the lives of those around them. That's a good thing, whether I find her annoyingly over-perky or not. I don't have to buy her cookbooks and I can always change the channel when she's on. But that doesn't mean there's not a place for her.

Of course, that doesn't mean I won't continue to be snarky about her once in a while....

I guess this is the point where I always jump in and say that I might not find her the best cook or the most generous tipper, but I think she's cute and fun, and her appearance and style don't turn me off at all.

I've made several of hers but the latest ones were her Mexican Lasagna,(from her show) and Ital-Tuna Melts (from Everday with RR) Simple food, yes........and I am a great cook! However, there are other things in my life and I cannot spend hours in the kitchen everyday. I believe a true foodie appreciates all foods, no matter how simple or complex, provided they are well prepared, use fresh ingredients, and taste fabulous.
I used to be more of a food snob, but age has mellowed me, thank God!
Hey, I drink great wine, too, but two buck chuck is not beneath me!!

Gotta jump on the pro-Rachael bandwagon here...She is making simple food fast and just inspiring people to NOT be Sandra Lee, thank you very much...

She does encourage people to shop and chop on one day, say Sunday, just so you CAN reach into the fridge and grab clean lettuce, carrots, herbs, etc...And she buy raw materials as close to the end product as possible (thin-cut chix breasts, pounded round steaks, chicken tenders, etc...)